Gowns 4 Good: Your Graduation Gown Repurposed As PPE
by Robert Glatter, MD
When Nathaniel Moore received his MBA from the University of Vermont earlier this month, he did it virtually, just as tens of thousands of graduates did as a result of Covid-19.
Moore, a physician assistant working on the frontlines in the emergency department at the University of Vermont Medical Center, decided that instead of wearing his gown, he would repurpose it as personal protective equipment (PPE) for other healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
This inspired him to launch Gowns4Good, an initiative that collects gowns and repurposes them as PPE. And in just over a month’s time, Moore has collected over 10,000 gowns.
“Gowns4good was founded to solve two problems with one solution,” said Moore.
“The first problem,” he explained, “was witnessing my colleagues on the front lines of this pandemic lacking the appropriate PPE. As a physician assistant working in the emergency department treating Covid-19 patients, I was struck by the image of my fellow healthcare workers using trash bags or other alternative forms of PPE. I wanted to brainstorm a way to keep them protected. Secondly, I was heartbroken for all the graduating students whose commencement ceremonies were being postponed or canceled to adhere to social distancing guidelines.”
“Then, it clicked that there could be a helpful connection here,” said Moore.
“By donating the new or used graduation gowns to medical workers, we could both protect those on the front lines and also honor our graduating students; we could take action from our homes and actually create an impact during these uncertain times,” he added.
Moore explained that in order to honor students’ academic achievements, the company is mailing Gowns4Good logos to all donors along with instructions for students to attach it to the mortarboards of their graduation caps. Students with altered commencement plans are encouraged to “wear the cap and donate the gown!”
The Outcry for PPE
PPE shortages have been a crucial issue since the beginning of the pandemic, weighting heavily on the minds of healthcare providers working on the frontlines of the pandemic.
Dr. Megan Ranney, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Brown University and co-founder of the movement, #GetUsPPE, has been instrumental in raising the collective voice of all healthcare providers regarding the urgency of PPE on the frontlines of the pandemic.
Ranney is joined by colleagues, Dr. Esther Choo, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, Dr. Shuhan He, Attending Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Dr. Ali Raja, Executive Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Jeremy Faust, Attending Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Instructor at Harvard Medical School and Dr. Seth Trueger, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine along with additional physicians making up their team for #GetUs PPE.
In launching this effort, Ranney wrote an article in the New England Journal of Medicine urging Trump to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to mass produce PPE, while also asking key stakeholders in the private sector to join in this critical effort. Her initiative also took her to Congress, where she was asked to submit recommendations before Congress on the most important aspects of the Covid-19 Stimulus Bill. She urged congressional members to focus on health security of all Americans, with a particular focus on minorities, while investing money in public health initiatives.
“We still face major shortages in PPE for healthcare workers across the country,” said Ranney. “The types of PPE needed are changing - for example, at #GetUsPPE we are now seeing dramatic increases in demand for gowns and for cleaning wipes, both of which are new. But the need is still there—we continue to receive tens of thousands of requests for all types of PPE each week. And prices for PPE continue to be through the roof.”
Ranney qualified that “major hospital systems are by and large able to fill their needs at this point, but are still needing to reuse PPE in ways that would have been considered unacceptable 4 months ago (e.g., reusing a surgical mask for an entire day or an entire week). Smaller hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home healthcare workers continue to lack the means or connections to purchase PPE, however.”
“One of the highest current needs is disposable and reusable gowns,” explained Ranney. “Using old graduation gowns is a great idea, with the caution that these may not be adequate in all settings (e.g., in settings where this is more likely to be a fluid spill). As we use homemade and recycled PPE, it's essential for us to make sure that we provide supplies that keep our healthcare workers safe,” she added.
Re-purposing What We Have
The lack of adequate PPE for healthcare workers throughout the world weighed heavily on Moore as he was working in the emergency department at the University of Vermont Medical Center during the early days of the pandemic.
Using a graduation gown, his goal was to launch a sustainable concept, a better substitute for PPE—compared to trash bags with holes cut out for arms—for use in hospital settings. Moore explained that gowns are much more effective than other alternatives to PPE as a result of three key aspects: length, sleeves and the presence and location of the zippers in their construction.
“Compared to trash bags or other alternative forms of PPE, graduation gowns are more effective given their length, sleeves, and easy donning and doffing with zippered access,” said Moore. “When worn backwards, they have a high riding neckline and provide the necessary coverage to the critical zones of exposure: the chest, waist, and forearms.”
Moore further explained that “although efforts are being made to increase PPE production, worldwide demand is increasing too quickly. There are so many new gowns that will go unworn as graduations are being canceled and used gowns collecting dust in people’s closets. Why not put these gowns to better use? There is no better way to honor your senior or your alma mater than to donate to desperate healthcare workers.”
As a recent MBA graduate Moore was able to use the skills he practiced as a student to effectively launch his company and make it a success.
“The skills collected while pursuing my MBA at the University of Vermont have been critical in the execution of this initiative,” he emphasized. “In just days, we went from a hypothetical idea to a fully functioning organization making national headlines helping those in need.”
“I utilized my classroom experience to optimize a strategy to build a successful endeavor; courses in marketing, finance, data compilation, strategy, law, sustainable innovation, web design, branding, etc. all culminated to create the foundation of knowledge to execute such an effort,” added Moore.
He also credits his team as part of his success. “Like any successful project, it is only as good as your teammates. Taran, Ally, Cody, Jackson, and Rob have been an invaluable asset to making this initiative operational: with their individual expertise, collaborative efforts, and a drive to make an impact through these uncertain times, we put our MBA to good use to help those on the front lines during the worldwide pandemic.”
These skills and compassion will serve Moore well as he plans to begin medical school this Fall at The Robert Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont.